Perhaps the most curious disappointment of John Sayles’ latest film, Honeydripper is its woeful unemployment of the music it is supposed to celebrate. Set at a small Alabama juke joint in 1950, Honeydripper only hints at the boogie-woogie foundation that will soon herald the age of rock ‘n’ roll. Instead of in a joyous deluge, the music comes in drips and drabs, with the real deluge relegated to the movie’s soundtrack.

Which may be where it belongs, anyway, because here the listener can enjoy the music outside of the movie’s clichéd and stereotyped construct (Heaven and Hell! Fried chicken-cooking mamas! Jive-talkin’ sharecroppers! Racist sheriffs!). The movie feels like a chance to pump up the resume of hot-shot young blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr., who plays one of the leads, and he holds his own on a closing trilogy of classics: “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “China Doll” and “Blue Light Boogie,” all sung with a sharp baritone that evokes Chuck Barry.

Keb’ Mo’ keeps things interesting both on screen and here with his wailing take on “Stack O Lee,” but this soundtrack is at its best with its surprises. Star Danny Glover, who plays the juke joint owner, is a delight on “Goin’ Down Slow,” letting his vocals keep pace with the piano fills and not trying to overwhelm them. Unfortunately, Ruth Brown died before she could co-star in the movie as the fading house “star,” but her “Things About Coming My Way” made its way onto the soundtrack. Louisiana native and Stax veteran Mable John not only filled in for Brown in the role, but also had a chance to sing the dirty little “No Matter How She Done It,” with the tempo slowed to a crawl. “You women don’t have to worry about your life,” the 77-year-old belts, “She made Jack the Ripper throw away his knife!”